Walking Crooked Lines
by APyro'sFlame
Summary: Roxas, an eighteen year old high school drop out, is struggling to take care of his younger brother Sora. Desperate for a job, he jumps at the chance when one’s offered, not even caring what it is, nor thinking about the consequences. AxelRoxas, Akuroku,
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. Nor am I making any money/profit off of this story. It's all purely fan-based and for my own simple pleasure. Kingdom Hearts/its characters belong to Square Enix/Disney, not me, unfortunately…

Warnings: Yaoi. Guy love. Whatever you want to call it. This chapters not bad at all, but later on might get a little graphic. That's why this is gonna be rated M. If Yaoi is not your thing, then go read something else that is. And I don't want to hear about, "Oh, it's so gross!" or anything like that... Seriously, guys. I don't want to.

Summary: Roxas, an eighteen year old high school drop out, is struggling to take care of his younger brother Sora. Desperate for a job, he jumps at the chance when one's offered, not even caring what it is, nor thinking about the consequences. Axel/Roxas, Akuroku, Yaoi

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**Chapter One**

"Come **on**, Sora! You're already late, hurry up! Do you want to have your teachers call me, again?" There was silence from down the hall before a 'No!' erupted from one of the bedrooms. Almost immediately after, one of the bedroom doors burst open, revealing a short brunette with bright sky blue eyes. His hair stuck up in random directions, but no one would ever take a brush anywhere close to it. Trying to comb through the boys' hair was always a death promise to the unfortunate brush.

Clad in his school uniform that consisted of a white button up shirt, black tie with matching black pants, and polished black shoes, the brunette, Sora, ran into the kitchen with his back pack slung over his shoulders, trying his hardest not to trip over himself. He stopped by the fridge, looking to see his older brother scraping butter on a piece of toast. With a grin, the brunette jogged into the little alcove of a kitchen and threw his arms around his blonde brother, snuggling his head into his shoulder.

"Morning, Roxas! Um, I know I'm late, and I'm really sorry, and I should probably get going, but uh, I was wondering if I could go to Riku's house today after school? Please? I did all my chores like you asked, and I even picked up my room last night before I went to sleep! So, please, Roxas?"

The older, a blonde that's eyes matched Sora's deep blue ones paused while buttering the burnt toast, glancing to his younger brother with a sigh. "Fine. But I want you home before ten, got it?"

Sora nodded enthusiastically before hugging him again with a loud, "Thanks, Roxas!" and then kissed his brother's cheek before taking the piece of toast that Roxas was in the middle of buttering and turned, sprinting out the door and to school. Roxas, however, managed to catch the 'bye!' before his brother was gone.

With a deep sigh, the blonde collapsed onto one of the chairs at their kitchen table, staring after the place that had just been occupied by his little brother. With slightly trembling hands he gripped his coffee cup before bringing it to his lips, taking a quick drink and then swallowed the dark liquid. It was gross, but if it woke him up, then so be it.

Fifteen minutes later and an empty mug of coffee, the blonde was still sitting in the same spot, same position, as before. Eyes were still stuck on where his brother had stood, and with another sigh, Roxas stood up. He needed a shower. Walking from the kitchen, past the bedrooms he pushed open the door to the bathroom and strode in. Unconsciously he shut the door behind him and glanced up and to his right and into the mirror, taking in his current appearance. Bright blue eyes looked back at him tiredly, with light sun-kissed skin and unruly blonde hair that spiked up, although not as bad as Soras. His appearance was almost similar to his brother, and they were mistaken a lot as twins, despite the fact that Roxas was eighteen years old. His younger brother, however, was only fifteen, but already was almost the blonde's height.

Shaking his head, Roxas turned from the mirror and stepped to the shower, pulling the curtain back and reached down, turning on the water and pushing the knob to 'Hot'. As soon as he undressed he got in, relishing in the feeling of hot water pouring down his stressed body. He could feel his muscles relax, and for awhile, he just stood there, not doing anything but letting the water wash away his stress. After and unknown amount of minutes, the blonde began to wash himself, pausing briefly as he lost himself in thought.

By the time that Roxas finished his shower it was 8:15, but time wasn't really important. Currently he didn't work, so the blonde didn't have to worry about being anywhere on time. Moving out of the bathroom with at towel around his waste he headed to his bedroom, opening the door and shutting it behind him. Like the rest of the apartment that he and his brother lived in, Roxas's room was plain, bland, and boring. They didn't have the money to afford anything except for the necessities, which included rent, food, and Sora's school supplies.

With a sigh he pulled on a pair of boxers, moving to his closet and opening the door quietly. Blue eyes skimmed the few clothes that he had and spotted a pair of ripped jeans and a tight, black t-shirt. Pulling them out he tossed them on his bed, running the towel through his hair once more before picking the shirt up and pulling it over his head. After straightening that out he pulled on the pants, surprised that they even still fit him. He had gotten them years ago, but he supposed that he didn't grow much in the last couple of years.

Just as soon as Roxas was going to run a comb through his wet hair, the phone rang, causing the blonde to curse lightly. It was probably one of Sora's teachers, wondering why the bouncing brunette was late. Walking back out of his room with a towel draped over his shoulders and a comb midway through his blonde hair, he moved quickly to the kitchen, grabbing the phone from the hook.

"This is Roxas." His voice was even tired, the blonde noted, but couldn't dwell on it anymore when an easily recognizable voice filled into his ear from the other end of the phone.

"Roxas! Hey, good morning! It's Demyx!" Roxas paused and then felt the corners of his lips turn into a smile. Demyx had to be, if wasn't the only, one of his best friends. The dirty blonde older teen was rambunctious, spontaneous, and so much like Sora that it was almost surprising. Roxas had known Demyx for a year, but it had felt like much longer. They had met at "Hallow Hearts" café down the street from where Roxas's apartment was by literally running into each other, both carrying their food and coffees back to their places where Demyx had tripped over his own feet and had crashed into Roxas.

At first, Roxas had been angry, but Demyx continually apologized to the younger blonde and actually ordered him an all new meal with an iced latte instead of a coffee. Roxas had said that he didn't have to, that it was fine, but Demyx didn't seem to think that it was an appropriate way to amend the situation, so Roxas ended up eating at the same booth with Demyx, the two talking about a bit of everything. By the end of the hour, Roxas had made a new friend.

"Hi, Demyx. What's going on? Don't you have work?" There was a pause on the other line and then Demyx giggled. Yes, giggled. That was another thing that Roxas liked about his friend; he was gay, and wasn't afraid to show it. Truthfully, Roxas was bisexual, but his past experience with girls wasn't that great and lately he had been looking for a boyfriend instead.

"Silly, silly, Roxas! I work night shifts, remember? We've had this talk! Anywho, I'm hungry, so do you want to meet me at our usual spot? I'll buy, Rox, so don't worry if you don't have any change." Roxas thought for a moment at what his friend had offered, holding the phone limply with one hand as the other simultaneously combed his hair. The only thing that they had in the kitchen to eat was bread, butter, and probably a week-old expired milk, so an offer like this couldn't hurt, could it?

With a smile gracing his lips Roxas nodded, before realizing that his dirty-blonde friend couldn't see him so he spoke. "Sure, Demyx. Thanks. I'll be there in a few minutes, so can you order for me?" There was a sound of ascent from the other line and Roxas moved from the kitchen back to his room, where he set down the comb. Holding the phone between his neck and shoulder he reached up above his dresser and picked up a bottle of gel, squirting some in his hands before running it through his hair. His blonde locks naturally spiked up, but on cold days like today, it tended to frizz up if nothing was put in it.

"Do you want your usual, Rox?" Demyx's voice came from the other end and once again the blonde both nodded and spoke.

"Yeah." Glancing around his room one last time Roxas grabbed his keys and his wallet before leaving, heading back into the kitchen. On his way back to the phone receiver, the blonde noticed a large, black coat laying on the side of the sofa, the cloth of it ripped in various places. "Oh, shit. Damnit, Sora!"

"What? What's up, Rox? Everything okay?" Came Demyx's confused voice from the other end and Roxas stepped forward, picking up the forgotten coat.

"Sora forgot his jacket, again. Dem, do you think that you can run me by the school after breakfast? I need to get this to him…" More giggles came from Demyx, but the other blonde agreed. "Thanks, Demyx. I really do owe you. I'll see you in a couple minutes, alright?"

"Alright, Rox. See you then!" Clicking the 'off' button of the phone, Roxas placed it back onto the hook to charge and flicked off the light to the kitchen, heading towards the front closet. Opening the door silently, he pulled out a worn grey hoodie, and after slipping it on and making sure he had Sora's coat, Roxas left the apartment, locking the door behind him.

Almost ten minutes later Roxas was sitting in a booth across from Demyx at "Hallow Hearts", eating the meal that Demyx had both ordered and paid for graciously. This wasn't the first time that Roxas had bummed a free meal off of his dirty-blonde friend, but Demyx was well aware of Roxas's situation and so jumped in to help whatever the cost. They met at "Hallow Hearts" two or three times a week, whether over breakfast, a latte, or just to talk, and Roxas wouldn't have it any other way. On days that Sora wasn't in school, he would bring his younger brother along, which Demyx didn't seem to mind at all. Both Sora and Demyx got along great, their personalities matching to the point that they had almost everything in common.

"… Rox. Hey, earth to Roxas! You okay over there, hun?" At Demyx's voice, Roxas snapped out of his stupor and looked up, meeting his friends baby blue eyes. With a subtle nod, Roxas took a drink of his café mocha before setting his fork down, clearing his throat and turning his full attention to his friend.

"Yeah, sorry Dem. I just haven't had a full meal in a while…" A giggle came from across the table and Demyx leaned forward, resting his hand on top of Roxas's. With a smile, the older blonde shook his head, eyes dancing in his strangely eternal happy mood.

"Don't worry, Roxy! So, tell me, how's Sora? Is he doing well in school?" Roxas took another sip of his drink and gave a soft shrug.

"I think so… He doesn't really speak to me much about school, but I always tell him to do his homework. I ask, but he just gives me the same answers. But overall he's doing fine; he's going to Riku's house today after school, so I thought about going out and looking for a new job…"

The hand over Roxas's tightened and he heard Demyx give out a light gasp. "Roxas! You lost another job?"

Roxas sighed softly, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. Yes, he had lost another job. It had been his fourth, and he had only worked a week before the manager had fired him. They said that it was because they were over their required amount of employees, but Roxas was pretty sure that he knew that 'pushing the limit' was not the real reason.

"They found out that I dropped from school, Demyx, there was nothing that I could do. I even explained to them that I needed the job to take care of my younger brother, to get him through school and shit, but they didn't care. No graduating high school, no friggin' job."

Demyx's hand tightened around his, the dirty-blondes thumb rubbing small circles on the top of his hand. "I'm sorry, Rox. If there was something that I could do, I would…" At the tone of his friends worried voice Roxas flashed him a soft, caring smile.

"Don't feel guilty, Dem. You already do so much for Sora and me; we don't expect you to go out of your way for us. Being there's good enough, so don't worry, alright?"

Roxas could tell that his friend was troubled by the thought of not being able to do more, but the younger blonde was at a loss of what to say. He was never good with words, but as the seconds dragged on to minutes and Roxas managed to finish his breakfast before it got cold, Demyx seemed to already have something else on his mind.

"Were you able to pay your rent this month, Rox?" Blinking up at his friend, the aforementioned boy nodded.

"I managed to. I got fired from my last job last Tuesday, and rent was due on Friday, so I used that 'hefty' sum of a paycheck for that. I had some money left over, and that's in savings now. Christmas is coming up, so things are going to get expensive… I told Sora the other day that we probably won't have a heater again this year; they're too expensive to pay for." Demyx nodded quietly as he sipped his own drink, and both teens lost themselves to their own thoughts.

Roxas and Sora's predicament was almost comical. He was an eighteen year old high school dropout desperately searching for a job to get enough money for rent, food, and his younger brother's education. He had dropped out of school shortly after he had turned sixteen, realizing that they couldn't afford both of them attending. Beings as he was the able age to get a job, Roxas went ahead and threw his education away so that he could provide for his little brother. So far, they had barely managed to get by, although lately it was becoming increasingly difficult.

He needed a job, badly, and right about now he was extremely desperate. It was getting colder out and nearing Christmas; Roxas didn't want to have a repeat of last year. Everyone in Sora's school, apparently, were getting things called iPods, or various other forms of MP3 players, and his little brother had come home one day begging Roxas for one. Roxas had told him that he'd look into it, see what he could do, and then sent Sora on his way to do his homework. Not surprisingly, Roxas couldn't afford it. Those stupid little music devices were too much, so instead, the blonde got his brother a few CDs, hoping that he'd understand. Despite the fact that Roxas had explained everything to Sora, his brunette brother had done his best to mask his disappointment with happiness. He had hugged him, thanked him, kissed him on the cheek like he always did, and then apologized, because Sora didn't have anything to give Roxas.

Being gift-less wasn't something that bothered him, but the look of disappointment that crossed Sora's eyes was something that Roxas couldn't forget. That night, after making sure that Sora was settled for bed, he left his brother's room and went to his own, where he calmly shut the door behind him. In his room, Roxas could let his composure slip, could drop his calm façade and act out the things that he had felt variously through the day. So, he did. Roxas had slid down the door and cried, wondering how they could have gotten into the predicament that they were in, how he couldn't get his brother what he wanted for Christmas, and even how their Christmas 'tree' was a picture that Sora drew of a tree and had taped to the television. He had stayed up late crying, cursing himself that he couldn't do better for his brother, who deserved so much more, and then had fallen asleep lying against the door… However, Roxas knew that this year wasn't going to be different.

"… Sora wants a PlayStation 2 this year for Christmas, so I'm saving up now. I might try to get a used one; they're cheaper." Unaware that he had even spoken aloud Roxas was shocked when he felt Demyx's hand tighten once more over his, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance.

"It'll work out, Roxas, it always does. Try not to let it get to your head. Just remember; Christmas isn't about gifts. It's about spending it with those that you love." Despite the fact that Demyx was trying to cheer him up, those words didn't seem to have any effect. With a melancholic sigh, Roxas shook his head.

"Demyx… I'm only eighteen years old, and already I'm playing the role of a worried parent. I love Sora, I love him a lot, he's my little brother… But it's getting so hard to take care of him. I don't have a job, no money... I'm desperate, but no where will take me."

"Rox, I…" The dirty-blonde trailed off, looking like he was about to say something when he stopped himself. After a few moments of silence and a curious look from Roxas, he spoke, seeming to choose his words carefully. "I might be able to get you some kind of job, Roxas. Maybe, though, just maybe."

Surprised at the sudden offer, Roxas leaned forward, eager to hear more. "Where at? Doing what? Are you sure that they'd even take me, Dem?"

"It's where I work, but I'll have to go and talk to my, er, boss about it, before I know anything for sure. He's been talking about getting a new employee lately and so far I don't think he's come up with much. It's not a **bad** job, per se, but it pays good…" As his friend spoke, Roxas could easily pick up on the uneasiness in his voice. Come to think of it, Demyx had never spoken about his job-life before, only saying that he mostly worked night-shifts.

"What makes you even think that they'll accept me, Dem?" Roxas asked softly and Demyx stared at him for a few moments, baby blue eyes gazing at the younger teen passively.

"Well, Roxy, you're kind, easy to talk to, cheerful most of the time, friendly, and extremely cute. Plus, you don't even need to have graduated high school for this kind of job. I'll tell my boss your predicament, how you're taking care of your brother and desperate for a job, and see if he'll give you a shot. If he's interested, I'll have him tell me, and then you'll have to have a meeting with him. Dress fancy, though, he won't tolerate slobs. Do you even have something nice to wear, Rox?" At that the younger blonde shook his head, making Demyx sigh. "Well, I'll take you out sometime then if he wants to meet you. It's not like, tux-worthy or anything. A nice shirt and nice pants will do just fine." At all of this Roxas felt himself nodding, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. It was all concentrating on one question.

"Demyx… Why are you doing all this stuff for me? Buying me food, maybe clothes, offering to help me get a job, helping me take care of Sora… I just don't understand."

Demyx seemed surprised by the question, but took his time answering it. Brows furrowed in deep thought for a few moments before he took a deep breath, finally releasing Roxas's hand as he folded his on the table. "Well, Rox… I-I guess that you could say I was in your position once. For a long time I didn't have anyone to help me, but then I ran into someone; actually, it wasn't too much different from how I met you." At that, Demyx giggled softly, seeming to draw back into his memory.

"We work together now, me and my friend that I ran into, that is, but we weren't always as close as we are now. I guess you could say I look up to him like an older brother, and he looks out for me. Before I met him, I lived on the streets, and it was in front of this café that I ran into him, but he wasn't mad. He just looked at me in that weird way that he always does, and then asked me my name. I told him, and for awhile I thought he was gonna kill me or something, 'cause the way that he looked at me was just, well, kinda creepy. Just staring, not saying anything, like he was sizing me up. Then he asked if I was hungry, and I said yes, and he took me in here, at this booth we're sitting at now, and ordered me food.

"He asked me how old I was, and I told him. I think I was almost seventeen, so it's been a couple years. Then he asked me if I was a 'people-person', and I said 'I guess so.' I didn't really know; I was an orphan. But anyway, back to my main point… It went like that for a while, he kept asking me questions about myself, until he pretty much knew everything about me, then he told me his name, and said that he might have a place for me to live and work.

"I guess what I'm trying to get at, Rox, is that, despite the fact that he didn't have to help me, he chose to. He helped me earn a living, pick up from literally having nothing, and get me where I am now. I have a home to go back to, a job to earn money from, and seeing you in this predicament reminds me of myself. So I'm choosing to help you make a living, so that you can take care of your little brother, and make a life for yourself, too." As Demyx finished explaining himself, Roxas could only blink a few times, slowly bringing himself to nod.

Never before had Demyx gone into much detail about his past, and never before had Roxas even imagined the older blonde being an orphan. While Roxas and Sora were orphans themselves, they had never been homeless. Their parents both died in a car accident when Roxas was fifteen, Sora only being twelve, and so Roxas promptly took up where their parents had left off.

They had never been a rich family, but with both of their parents working respectable jobs, they had never gone hungry, either. It was shortly after Roxas turned sixteen did he realize that he and Sora didn't have enough money for both of them to go to school. Someone would have to work, and that someone turned out to be Roxas. He was the oldest, after all, and he wanted to take care of his little brother. And now, here he was, talking with his nineteen year old friend who was miraculously helping him look into getting a job.

"Demyx, I…" Roxas paused, taking in a deep breath to try and find the words that he wanted. After some time he spoke, his blonde friend listening quietly. "I just, well, thanks, Dem. For everything. I don't know how I'll ever be able to pay you back, but, if there's anything, anything at all that you can think of, let me know, okay? For me and Sora both, thank you."

Demyx laughed; it was a sound that Roxas liked. "Don't worry about it, Rox! I don't want anything in return! Now, weren't you saying something earlier about getting Sora's coat to him?"

"Oh, shit! You're right! You sure it's not a problem?" Demyx shook his head and stood up from his spot, leaving a tip for the waitress along with the payment for the meal. Making sure that his hoodie was fastened tight, Roxas stood up, grabbed Sora's coat from the booth, and followed his blonde friend out of the café.

As soon as Demyx pulled the car into one of the 'Guest' parking spots, Roxas opened the door and hopped out. His blonde friend turned off the car, got out, and then locked it, before joining Roxas on the walk into the school building. With a deep sigh the younger blonde took in their surroundings, realizing that if his parents were still alive, he would be graduating this year. He'd still be going to school in this very building, twitching in his seat as his teacher would lecture about how amazing something was, and wishing that the school year would just hurry up so that he could be out on his own. Oh, how wrong Roxas had been when he had thought that…

"Don't worry about it so much, Roxy, really." Demyx said from beside him, slinging his arm over the smaller teens shoulders. With a sigh Roxas nodded, focusing his attention to the situation at hand and trying not to let his mind wander too much. Pushing open the doors that led into the school building the teen was greeted with the familiar smell of the inside of the school, the tiled floors and brick walls seeming like a vivid dream that he had long since forgotten about.

Kindly shrugging Demyx's arm off of his shoulders Roxas went into the main office, immediately spotting a familiar face. A woman was sitting behind the front desk, obviously the receptionist. She had long, brunette hair tied back into a braided pony tail, a kind, beautiful face, and crisp yet caring green eyes glancing up from her paper work to rest on him. She wore a pink dress which matched the bow that she wore in her hair, and as Roxas approached she gave him a kind smile.

"Hello, Roxas." He smiled back at her softly.

"Hey, Aerith, how've you been?" The school receptionist, and also nurse, Aerith looked at him softly, giving him another smile.

"Oh, I've been lovely. What has Sora done now, though? I hope it's nothing too drastic this time…" Roxas laughed softly, shaking his head. Holding up the coat, Aerith's green eyes followed his movement before realization dawned on her face.

He smiled. "Like you said; 'nothing too drastic'. He forgot his coat, so could you call him in so I can give it to him?" The brunette receptionist nodded before turning to her computer, typing in what Roxas assumed was Sora's name.

"Lets see here… Sora Hikari, third period… Ah, he's in English with Mr. Strife." Reaching for the phone she picked it up, holding it against her ear as she dialed in a few numbers. After a few rings, Roxas managed to hear a deep voice pick up. "Hello, Cloud. It's Aerith. Could you send Sora down for a few moments? Yes, his brother's here…" Aerith paused and then nodded at the murmured sound of assent from the man on the other line. "Thank you, Cloud." With that, she hung up and turned back to Roxas with a smile. "He'll be right down. Please, have a seat."

Roxas nodded and thanked her before sitting down in one of the many waiting chairs, Demyx sitting quietly beside him. Taking a glance to his blonde friend he noticed that the older teen seemed troubled, vaguely wondering if his uneasiness was from the fact that they were in a school building. To Roxas's knowledge he didn't even know if Demyx had gone to school, beings as he found out that his friend had been homeless. Maybe being in an educational environment was somewhat overwhelming for his friend? Suddenly, Roxas felt guilty that he had asked Demyx to take him here…

Before he could dwell on the fact much longer, the blonde was distracted by the sound of the door opening. Glancing up, he immediately spotted the wild, chocolate colored hair of his little brother and stood up.

"Roxas! What'cha doing here? I promise I didn't do anything this time and, oh, hi Demyx!" With a big smile Sora immediately turned his attention from Roxas to Demyx, who had stood up. Then, the brunette threw his arms around Demyx's shoulders, standing on his toes just so that he could hug him tightly. "How're you doing? I missed you! You need to come over more often, 'cause you don't come over enough. But you're probably busy doin' your own stuff, so I don't blame you!"

Demyx laughed at this, ruffling Sora's hair playfully as the brunette finally let him go from his killer hug. "I'm doing fine, Twiggy."

Sora pouted. "Don't call me that!" At this, both Demyx and Roxas laughed. With a soft sigh, Roxas reached up and tapped Sora on the shoulder, getting his younger brother's attention.

"You left this at home. If you're walking to Riku's house after school, I don't want you going without a coat." Roxas handed his brother the said item, looking at him sternly. "And remember what I said, Sora. Be home before ten, and **no** later." Sora nodded to him, smiling as he took his jacket and slipped it around his shoulders.

"I know, Rox, I know. Before ten o'clock, I won't forget, I promise." Roxas smiled at his little brother's words and nodded.

"Okay, well… That's all, and I don't want to keep you out of your class. For all I know you're probably learning about Romeo and Juliet or something important along those lines." Sora giggled softly, folding his arms behind his back. Roxas loved the sound of his brother's happiness; it made him feel like his struggle to keep their small boat afloat wasn't for nothing.

After getting a pass from Aerith that allowed Sora back to class, the three boys walked from the office to the doors of the school. Demyx said goodbye to Sora, promising that he'd come over and visit sometime soon.

"Oh, um, Rox… I forgot to tell you something." Roxas paused and looked back to his brother, who was fiddling with the edges of the note from Aerith anxiously. "I'm out of lunch money."

With a soft sigh Roxas pulled out his wallet, pulling out the last of his money. Literally, it was the last three dollars that had, but handed it to his brother anyway. Sora needed it a lot more than he did. "Here, Sora. This'll have to get you by today, alright? I'll try to leave you more out tonight on the table; don't forget to grab it, okay?" Sora nodded and tentatively took the money from his brother, giving him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Roxas. I need to get back to class. I love you." With another smile Sora leaned up and kissed Roxas's cheek before pocketing the money and then headed back to class, giving them both a wave before disappearing down the English hall.

After standing in the hallway awhile longer, the two teens headed back out to Demyx's car in silence. Roxas hated having to lie to his brother, but truthfully, the blonde didn't even know if he'd be able to scrounge up any more money to give Sora for his lunch tomorrow. He wasn't about to bring it up to Demyx, because he knew that his friend would jump up and give Roxas a bunch of his money that he'd never be able to pay back. Buying him breakfast and being company for Sora was good enough. With a solemn expression Roxas climbed back into the passenger seat of Demyx's car, gazing out the window quietly.

"Where to, Rox?" He heard Demyx ask and the younger teen shrugged his shoulders, tearing his gaze away from the scenery of the school to look at his dirty-blonde friend. He was quiet for some time before answering.

"I think, Dem… Just home. There's things I have to do yet today." His friend nodded, and without a question he pulled the car out of the school parking lot and headed back towards Roxas's apartment. Roxas didn't know why, but he suddenly felt very tired. He'd been getting the feeling a lot, like he was exhausted and just didn't feel like doing anything. Usually he could force himself to at least clean the house, or clean Sora's room, or something… But right now, the only thing the blonde wanted to do was go home, crawl in bed, and fall asleep.

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**A/N:** Hello, there, everyone! I hope you liked this first chapter. This isn't the first thing I've ever written, but it is the first story I've ever posted on here. Please, no flames. Keep your bad thoughts to yourselves people, although if you see spelling/grammar mistakes, let me know. If you DO give me flames, I'll roast marshmallows over them and make S'mores... Because S'mores are good. Oh yeah, and then I'll publicly display your flames and my Beta and I will poke and prod them with funny jokes. 

Now that I do have my precious little Beta to look over my stuff, I'll post said stuff! Say hi, Beta!

Beta: "Hai thar, doodz! "

... Yeah.

Also, this story is rated M for a reason. This next chapter is going to feature our favorite pyromaniac, Axel, and he's going to show you why it's rated M. You could say that chapter two's a little… Axel-centric?

Much love to all who read/review! (Please Review by the way. Take a few seconds to type something up and let me know how I did. It'd be greatly appreciated!)

AkuRoku 55 (Akai)

P.S. – If you can't guess who Demyx's 'friend' is that he mentions… Well, then, I'm worried about you.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope, not yet… Though I will let everyone know in a world-wide announcement if Kingdom Hearts ever does belong to me. But so far, it still belongs to Square Enix/Disney… Le sigh

Warnings: Yaoi. Guy love. Just an 'fyi' for everyone, this chapter may get a little graphic to some people. As I've stated twice already, it's rated M for a reason. Sexual situations, foul language, etc., etc. You all don't need to be told that, do you?

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_Deep breath, push back, let out a moan, repeat. Play the bitch. If that's how he fucking wants it, play the goddamn bitch._

Back arched, Axel scraped his finger nails down the wooden headboard, emerald eyes glittering fiercely back at the man behind him. His breath came out in ragged gasps in between his moans, gasping for air as the man who's name the red-head didn't even know pound into him. It wasn't the best fuck that he had ever had, but it definitely wasn't the worst, either. He was too rough and too pompous, too full of himself to realize what exactly he was doing.

The bastard behind him reached forward and grabbed a fist full of Axel's red hair, yanking back and making the red head underneath him yelp slightly. The movement caused unwanted memories to flood into Axel's mind, but he pushed it aside, instead responding to the mans straightforwardness by pushing his pelvis back, matching the mans animalistic pace.

"Ah, you like that, do you, whore?" Emerald eyes glittered back angrily, choosing, for once, to ignore the comment. Axel _hated_ when people called him a whore. They didn't have any right to, and it wasn't his choice of life-style anyway. If this son of a bitch had a problem with him being a 'whore', then why did he even hire him? The red head responded with a low moan and the other man groaned, releasing himself within the younger male beneath him.

Axel had never liked being a 'whore', had never liked being a host in the club portion downstairs, but he couldn't risk doing anything else. The only thing that he knew how to do was flirt and fuck, and he didn't think that if he got some job at some fast-food restaurant that they would like him flirting with the customers. He was a sly, clever bastard that didn't have a problem doing whatever it took to get to the top, to survive, and everyone else around him knew that as well.

He also never liked playing 'sub', but he never complained. After all, it wasn't his right to complain, and if Xemnas knew, than he'd be hurting later on for sure.

Making sure that he got his full payment, Axel got dressed and left the guy that bought him to do whatever, heading out the door to the 'guest-room', or, in Axel's famous case, the 'fuck-rooms'. Trying not to limp too much he stuck the wad of money into his pocket, wondering idly where Demyx was. The red head knew that his blonde friend had gone out today, because he wasn't working host, but wondered if he was working the night-shift tonight.

With a soft sigh the red head stepped carefully over to the staircase, limping down the stairs but trying to move as normally as possible as to not attract attention. Inhaling deeply he opened the door to the lobby, immidiately being swamped by the voices of people that crowded the lobby.

Glancing up, Axel immidiately spotted Zexion in the sitting area, talking smoothly with two girls that were fawning over him. The lavender haired teen looked up briefly and merely nodded an acknowledgement before turning his attention back to his clients. Ignoring the other hosts that were currently occupied, Axel made his way over to the bar, plopping down on a side stool and wincing slightly as the pain down lower flared up.

"Rough day already, huh?" Emerald eyes glanced up, meeting with gold eyes - er, eye. The man behind the bar gazed down at him passively with his good eye, his other covered by a black eye-patch. He was cleaning the counter with a semi-dirty rag, long black hair streaked with grey pulled back into a low pony tail to be kept out of his way. Despite the grey in his hair, Axel knew that the bartender wasn't nearly as old as he looked.

"You could say that. Wanna get me a beer, Xiggy?" The bartender, Xigbar, scoffed lightly before tossing his rag into the sink behind him. He smirked.

"Got a valid form of ID?" Axel merely glared up at the older man, propping his elbows up on the counter as he rested his chin on his hands.

"Hardy-har-har, Xig. Just give me my damned beer and then get back to cleaning your counter." Xigbar shook his head but relented, reaching under the counter and opening one of the many small fridge that were down there. As the older man was doing this, the red head reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, pulling a stick from the box and then placing it between his lips. Slender fingers pulled a lighter from his other pocket, flipping the old red lighter open and lighting the white stick before he inhaled deeply.

Xigbar stood up again with Axel's beer in hand, waiting a moment before opening the bottle with his belt buckle. It was a trick that all of them knew now, but Axel idly wondered if Xigbar only learned it because Demyx thought it was cool. The said man placed the beer down on the counter and the red head nodded appreciatively before picking it up and taking a swig of it.

A few minutes of silence passed and Axel switched from inhaling his cigarette to sipping his beer every now and then, staring off into space as his mind began to think of places he'd rather be right now than at Nobody's Game. The club itself was rather large with three floors. The first floor was dedicated for the clients and hosts, who all worked and lived in the club. It consisted of the foyer, where all the host's photos hung, then a raised level that served as both bar, lounge area, and dance floor. The second floor was a balcony that over-hung the first, as well as the guest rooms for the clients, and then there was the third floor that was merely separate rooms for the hosts.

"You should stop that habit while you're still young, you know..." Axel glanced up briefly at hearing Xigbar's voice and rolled his eyes. Within another minute the cigarette was finished and he snubbed it out in the ash tray, then turning his attention back to his beer he watched Xigbar clean the counter again with a different rag.

"If I'm not mistaken, you had problems with 'that habit' too, before Demyx made you stop because he didn't like it." With the mention of the younger blonde Xigbar chuckled softly and shook his head, his hair swaying lightly down his back.

"Any time he saw me doing it he'd throw a fit and claim that I didn't care about him anymore, because he made me promise that I'd quit. That was one hell of a promise, too..." The older man began to grumble lightly under his breath which made the red head laugh softly. Demyx had a knack of getting pretty much anyone to do anything, whether from his plain ignorance or from his child-like demeanor, no one would ever know, but it was something that made Demyx... Demyx.

After Axel had brought his dirty-blonde haired friend off the streets and into Nobody's Game, he and Xigbar had formed something of a special relationship. The red head never even tried to understand why the two of them had been drawn together, but Axel had no quirks with the gun-obsessed bartender and so didn't have anything against the two of them spending any time together. In truth, after first finding Demyx, Axel had been afraid that if he brought him into the makeshift family of Nobody's Game that he'd lose some of that innocence that he possessed, but the day that he had brought him in, Xigbar had been the one to show him the ropes. Lucky, lucky Demyx. Axel was sure that if anyone other than Xigbar, or himself, had been the ones chosen to 'train' the young blonde then he still wouldn't be holding that same ignorant innocence as he did today.

Then, as the months progressed and time went on, the relationship that the two hosts had seemed to blossom into something much more than a friendship. Though Axel didn't have anything against that, either. Despite his beliefs in relationships himself and what a waste of time they were, seeing the two people that he actually considered his friends being happy made the risky decisions of bringing Demyx into the club worth-while.

"Speaking of your favorite bundle of joy, where is he? I haven't seen him yet today..." Emerald eyes peered up at the older man, who turned back to face him from having started cleaning some mugs and glasses. Xigbar glanced away lightly before answering, trying to cover up the look by turning back to his dishes.

"Apparently Dem found a new-fish," he said softly after a moment, seeming hesitant with his words. "He told Xemnas about some kid that he found that might be good for the job of a host, or maybe even do what you're doing now, just so he can get more money that way..." For some odd reason the red head couldn't look away from his friends back and found himself once again lost in his thoughts. A 'new-fish', eh? They'd all been there once in their lives, thinking that they were coming into something great where they could finally make a life for themselves, only to realize what a fucked-up setup everything was...

Axel nodded slowly, an emotion close to pity stirring in his heart. Being the unfortunate newbie "Dem tell you anything more about the new-fish?" His voice was quiet, more quiet than what he originally intended, although if Xigbar heard then he didn't show it and merely tossed him a sideways glance.

"Apparently, from what I've heard, he's about eighteen, relatively short, blonde hair, blue eyes, and has a younger brother. I'm sure that if you asked Dem might have a picture somewhere on hand. He's relatively crazy like that..." There was a note of some happy kind of satisfaction in the bartenders voice, but Axel didn't dare bring it up. The man liked to pretend that he didn't wear his emotions on his sleeves, yet when it came to Demyx, there weren't even any sleeves to hide them.

Emerald eyes danced mischeviously as Axel looked back up to his friend, a smirk finding its way to his lips. "You said blonde hair and blue eyes? You know, Xiggy my friend, that's so my type." With a soft chuckle he took another swig of his drink, leaning back in his chair and idly watching his friend work behind the bar. After a few more minutes of content silence and an empty beer later, the red head stretched an arm above his head and tried to stifle a yawn with a hand, but failed. It seemed as though his already long morning was quickly catching up with him.

As time ebbed by and the clients came and went, the other hosts went about their own daily agendas without complaint. Throughout all of this, however, Axel remained at the bar, though didn't drink anything else. Luckily for him there had been no one else that had requested his time and so merely wasted his time in his designated seat, watching as Xigbar either cleaned the bar, made and served drinks to their many clients, or did dishes. When boredom was finally setting in and Axel was about to stand up, the front doors opened and in strode the blonde ball of energy that the two at the bar had been talking about some time before.

In the blondes' arms were two paper bags filled to the brim with assorted necessities and from what Axel could spot, cat food. Lots of cat food. The red head quirked an eyebrow at what was contained in the bags but stood none-the-less and offered to take one of the bags. With a wide grin Demyx handed him one of the bags, the one that wasn't filled with cat food and then securely wrapped both arms around the remaining bag before hopping up to the bar and leaning over it a ways to give Xigbar a kiss on the cheek. From where he stood Axel could see the blush rise to the older mans cheeks, yet for once chose to remain quiet.

Normally whenever Xigbar, or anyone else for that matter, faltered from their normal, rather stoic-like personality, the red head usually found it in him to poke and prod with usually unnecessary jokes. Though for some reason, this time, with their little show of affection, Axel found he didn't have it in him to do so.

"So yeah, um, I went out today to meet with a friend, and then on my way home, I thought to myself, 'Hey! Pizza needs food, because he's kind of running out', so I bought him some more, and then some other stuff, because when I was walking in the store, I saw them, and so I got them, too..." After hearing the energetic blonde speak Axel peered into the bag, not at all surprised by what was in the bag. A box of Twinkies, toothe-paste, Cheez-Its, and coffee beans. If it had been anyone other than Demyx, then maybe, just maybe, Axel would have some reason to worry.

"Nobody should leave you alone to do shopping, Dem. You'd probably buy the whole store out." Xigbar said sarcastically, earning a pout from the dirty-blonde. The older man laughed softly before returning to his dishes and that left Demyx to turn and lope back over to where Axel was standing, his baby blue eyes dancing.

"C'mon! We gotta get this stuff upstairs before Luxord or Marly or someone tries to come and steal my Twinkies..." That same pout-like expression looked up at Axel and the red head grinned, nodding to his younger friend.

"Alright, alright. Let's go, you. Besides, Pizza's probably getting hungry waiting for you." At the mention of the dirty-blondes cat, Demyx's eyes went wide in fear, yet before Axel could say anything to quell his worries, the said boy turned and darted past the bar, yet Axel didn't miss the small wave that he threw to the bartender before he was hurrying through the sitting area and darting up the main stairs. Axel followed at his own calm pace, careful not to agitate any sore muscles as he headed up the stairs, past the second floor and up to the third; the living quarters.

After reaching the top step the red head turned and headed down the hallway, immediately spotting the door which Demyx left open in his haste to make sure that his precious cat, Pizza, was alright. All of the rooms in the living quarters relatively looked the same and were of the same size, all but Xemnas'. Their boss and manager had a room that could easily double any of the hosts', yet none paid much attention to it. Axel's room was right next to Demyxs', which the red head was sometimes grateful for, especially after tough nights and shifts.

"Pizza! You can't climb up on the bed like that! You have to use your steps!" Axel paused briefly outside of the open doorway upon hearing Demyx's voice, emerald eyes rolling. Pizza, Demyx's fat, orange cat, was currently hanging off the blue comforter of the blonde's bed, ultimately pulling the said blanket off of the bed. Setting the bag down in the doorway the red head watched the scene in front of him, intrigued. Demyx had set down his bag in haste upon seeing Pizza halfway dragging himself down the comforter, the blonde hurrying over and picking up the overweight cat and struggling to lift him up and place him on the ground. The two year old feline merely flicked his tail and looked up at Demyx before prowling back over to the bed, this time obediantly using the 'Senior Cat Help-Steps' that Xigbar had boughten Demyx for Pizza's 'birthday' last year.

Axel shook his head pathetically and then reached down, picking up the bag once again before heading into the room. "You know," he started calmly, eyeing the fat cat as it rolled onto the bed and tried to get comfortable, "You should really put him on a diet or something. He's probably going to get diabetes or something." Demyx scoffed.

"He's a _cat_, Axel, he can't _get_ diabetes!" Instead of answering, or trying to correct him, Axel merely went over to the small table in the side of the blondes room and began unloading the 'groceries', piling them all on the table for Demyx to later sort through. After crumpling the bag and tossing it into the trash can the red head turned and gazed around the room.

The dirty-blonde's room was slightly dirty with stray clothes laying all over the ground, as well as a litter box in the far corner for Pizza, and food and water dishes. The walls were painted indigo, with the normal wooden floors that were spread throughout the entire building, but the room itself seemed to reflect Demyx's personality quite well. On his bed-side table Axel noticed a few picture frames and smirked, reaching down and picking one up while Demyx himself was busy filling more food into Pizza's food dish.

The photo was of himself and Demyx, taken almost a year ago by Xigbar. The two of them were seated in the lounge area, Axel completely plastered and draping an arm over Demyx's shoulder, who was busy with a mouthful of cake. Despite the stupidity of the photo itself it was rather good, and for some reason Demyx found it good enough to frame and keep. After a thoughtful silence he set down the picture from where he got it and picked up another, rolling his eyes at seeing that it consisted of Xigbar, and only Xigbar. The picture was taken, of course, by Demyx, and was obviously a surprise-shot. Once again he replaced the photo and picked up another, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Demyx had his arms draped around two teens, the brunette teen on his left grinning with a wide, goofy grin that almost mimicked one of Demyxs', wide cerulean eyes shining happily. The teen on the right, however, was smiling in an almost shy and uncomfortable manner. His face was framed with blonde hair that stuck up slightly to one side, the same bright blue eyes as the other teen looking at the camera. _Blonde hair and blue eyes, ne?_

"Who's this, Dem?" He asked, loud enough for his friend to hear. The said blonde looked up from still adding food to Pizza's dish, tilting his head to the side, almost like a puppy. With a grin he stood up and bound over to where Axel was standing and took the photo from the red heads hands, holding it proudly.

"Oh! I was wondering when you were gonna ask! Okay so," he started, pointing at the picture. "So this is me! See? Yeah, but you already knew that. This one," he pointed then to the brunette standing to his left, "That's Sora, he's kinda a friend of mine, and then this is his older brother, Roxas. I met Sora through him." Demyx had pointed to the blonde and Axel found himself nodding slowly. _Roxas, huh? Cute._

"I met Roxas awhile back, at Hallow Hearts. It was kinda similar to how I met you, in a way, but yeah... He's been looking for a job, and Xemnas said that he might be able to get a job here! I don't know what exactly he's gonna be doing, but he needs the money."

"So that's the New-Fish... Xig told me about him earlier." It was a statement, not a question, but Demyx nodded anyway, his grin faltering slightly. It seemed as though some kind of uneasiness had leaked into his friend's baby blue eyes. Without even asking the red head immediately knew what was troubling the younger teen and so he shook his head, deciding to change the topic. "He's cute."

Demyx laughed, a sound that Axel found that he liked, again. "Oh yeah, I know! Isn't he, though? His little brother's adorable, too." Axel nodded, smiling lightly.

"How old is he?"

"Eighteen."

"Mm... Did you tell him what he's gonna be doing yet?" Green eyes met blue and with them, a secret message. The blonde looked away then as if ashamed and shook his head.

"No, not exactly... I'm almost afraid to. I did tell him, though, that he's gonna have to work with people and that he's going to learn mostly everything once he's here, so..." As Demyx trailed off Axel shook his head almost sadly, looking at his blonde haired friend almost imploringly.

With a sigh he turned, slowly walking past his friends bed and reaching down, petting Pizza on the head gently. The cat purred loudly with satisfaction at his ministrations, and after a few seconds the red head pulled away and headed towards the door, but paused, sparing his friend a backwards glance.

"Whatever you do, Dem, don't lie to the kid. Trust me, it just makes it harder to accept." And with that said Axel turned and left the room, not catching the shocked and saddened expression on his friends face as he headed to his own room.

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**A/N:** Everyone kneel to my DJ-Beta of amazing-ness! For it was her that forced me to sit on my computer chair until un-godly hours of the morning and forcing my poor, bleeding fingers to continue to type while playing me all of my 'motivational' music... Well, all of that was true, except for the bleeding fingers part.

And also, I have to apologize to everyone, because although I told a lot of you that it'd be a few days for me to update, it's ended up being a few _months_, and I have nothing to blame except for my utter laziness. And the fact that someone turned off my computer just before Chapter Two was finished and before I had the chance to save, thus deleting most of the chapter, which made me have to re-type it... Also, from the point that this chapter took me forever, I don't really like it. The first half of it was okay, but after that, I felt as though I was just dragging it on. So if anyone else feels that way, I apologize for that, and that I think that this chapter was too short. But what can I say? Not all chapters can be eleven-plus pages... .

So yes, I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed on the last chapter!! BIG APPLAUSE It means a lot to get reviews and for all of you to let me have known that you liked it, so please, PLEASE, take a while of your time to let me know how I did, once again. Reviews are like candy, except they don't stick to your teeth...

DJ-Beta: BRUSH YOUR TEETH! Oh, and can anyone tell me what ryhmes with 'Pomegranate'? Thank you!

O.o... Yeah. And that's the one that forces me to write.

DJ-Beta: You're welcome.

Anyway, please review, and everyone take care!

AkuRoku 55

P.S. - Many of the instances with Demyx are true experiences that my Beta and I have experienced together. And ALL of them were done by my Beta.

P.P.S. - This chapter was officially finished at 5:56 A.M. . Sleep time...


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Heck no, not yet. If I owned Kingdom Hearts, would I really be writing fanfics of my two favorite characters doing things completely out of the ordinary when I could easily make it happen in the game itself? Nope, I didn't think so...

Warnings: Meh, same as before. Boy-love. What else is there to say? Don't like it? Then follow these simple and painless instructions. 1. Hit the back button. Yep, that's it.

So without me holding you guys back any more, enjoy Chapter three!

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Roxas let out a deep breath, trying to think clearly before Sora got home from school. It had been a week since Demyx had informed him about helping him get a job, but his dirty-blonde haired friend still hadn't gotten back to him. They had eaten breakfast once, but Demyx had said that his boss had been busy so he hadn't been able to refer him yet. Roxas had told him that it was alright, that he understood, but he had politely begged his friend to try and hurry; it was getting harder.

Sora had been spending a lot more time with Riku, staying over there most of the time and occasionally asking him for spending money if the two friends were ever going to the mall. Roxas had tried to give his little brother what he could, and Sora had been grateful, but lately things had been getting extremely difficult, with both money and his little brother.

Roxas's brunette brother had begun to become slightly moody and would often tell him off and storm out of the house if he ever brought it up, but the blonde always swore that it was because he wasn't getting enough rest. Sora and Riku were really close friends, and as time began to ebb by, Roxas began to wonder if they were possibly more than friends. He wouldn't have anything against his little brother if he was gay, but every time he tried to confront his brother, he would get all defensive and tell him 'it's none of your business'.

Even now, Roxas was sitting on the couch in their house, breathing in calm, deep breaths as he waited for Sora to get home. He had called beforehand, telling his brother that he wanted to stay the night at Riku's house tonight. Roxas had told him 'maybe', but he had to come home first so that they could talk. His little brother had gotten off the phone only slightly hesistant, but had told him that he would come home first.

The sound of the front door to the apartment rattling brought him out of his thoughts, yet before he could sit up from the couch to answer it the door opened and in stepped Sora, looking only slightly nervous. Once he got inside the brunette kicked off his shoes but didn't move away from the door, and Roxas leaned forward slightly on the sofa before realizing what was delaying him. Riku was entering the room and pulled the door shut behind him, sparring a glance to Sora before looking up and meeting gazes with Roxas.

With a sigh the blonde slowly stood, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The conversation hadn't even started yet he could already tell that something was up, and with that in mind, he offered the two of them a soft smile before gently motioning for them both to sit down. Riku hesitated, but after Sora went ahead and bounded over to the sofa, smiling, the silver haired teen followed quietly.

It wasn't that Roxas had anything _against_ Riku, per se, it was just that sometimes the other boys silence was a bit unnerving. It was strange that someone as outgoing and happy and so optimistic like Sora was best friends with someone who was as quiet and reserved like Riku. Maybe it was true when they said that opposites attract?

"So, what's up, Rox? We can't stay long, because Riku's mom's making this really good casserole, and it'll be done in a while..." Roxas nodded slowly yet kept that same smile on his face, motioning for the two younger teens to take a seat. When they were seated, Roxas on the run-down recliner and Riku and Sora on the sofa, Roxas sighed deeply, looking at Sora before speaking.

"If you're in a hurry, then I won't take much of your time. I'll just go ahead and jump straight to the point..." Silently then, Sora shared a short glance with Riku before looking back to Roxas, nodding with a smile. "Your teacher called today, Mr. Strife. He said that your grades are dropping in his class, and not only in English, but in your mathematics and science classes, too, although I haven't been called by those teachers, yet."

The smile that was on Sora's face dropped as soon as Roxas had mentioned his English teacher's name, but the blonde refused to let that bother him. Sora had to understand how important school really was.

"So, Sora, I just want to know why your grades are dropping. At the beginning of the year they were fine, but now... You're coming too close to the end of this schoolyear to just throw all of your grades away." The brunette looked away, fiddling with a tear in his jeans to keep his gaze away from his brothers. Roxas sighed, yet again for who knows how many times that day. "Sora..."

The said boy looked up slightly but only met Roxas' eyes for a second before looking away, as if ashamed. His younger brother swallowed deeply and then nodded, folding his hands before setting them in his lap.

"I'm sorry, Roxas... I know you want what's best for me, and that's an education and stuff, but I'm getting tired of it. I mean, really! All the teachers do is nag at you all day long!" Roxas blinked, almost finding this amusing. Sora was getting tired of school? Was that possible?

"Sora, _I_ nag you all the time, and you don't want to be away from me. Well, at least I hope you don't." Sora looked up and smiled sheepishly, shaking his head.

"No, Roxas! I never wanna leave here, ever! It's just..." He trailed off and started to twiddle his thumbs, shoulders slumping. "I'm not really handing in my homework, or, really, _doing_ my homework." Roxas smiled softly and shook his head. That was all? Really, it wasn't so hard to just do some homework...

When the blonde himself was in school, he may not have been the best student ever, but he definately didn't let his homework slow him down. Go home, do homework so that it was out of the way and you didn't have to worry about it later, and then go about your business. That was his theory, and through his years of school that theory had worked. Yet despite the fact that Roxas had tried to teach that same method to Sora, his brother seemed to not have caught on.

"Sora," Roxas said softly, shaking his head, "You have to do your homework. It's not that hard to just do it and get it over with." Instead of looking comforted, or swayed, Sora looked almost hurt.

"Roxas, but it _is_ hard! I have a lot of problems with my homework, especially science and math!"

"Then why don't you just ask me to help you? You know that I'd gladly help with your work, Sora..." He asked, looking at his younger brother passively. The brunette shook his head, clamping his eyes shut tightly.

"I don't want to be a burden to you, Roxas! I know you're busy, and tired, a-and stressed, and I don't want to bother you!" Sora's shoulders were trembling and Riku reached forward gently and placed a hand on his knee as a soft and comforting manner. The brunette glanced up and to his silver haired friend and Roxas was able to see the tears in his eyes.

With a sigh the blonde spoke, quietly and simply as to not distress his brother any further. "It's okay, Sora. I'm not mad, and don't worry; you could never, ever be a burden to me. You're my brother, how could I consider my own _brother_ a burden?" At that Sora shrugged, sniffling. There was a silent pause from everyone in the room for a few beats before Sora spoke again, seeming to lean against Riku as he did so. His words were muffled so the blonde couldn't hear them, but he strained forward, elbows resting on his knees to hear his brother's words.

"What, Sora?"

"It's nothing, Roxas. Really, just forget it." Pleading blue eyes met with more suspicious ones, and despite the fact that Sora flashed him a winning grin, Roxas merely raised an eyebrow. His brother's act wasn't working.

"No, Sora. Tell me... What's going on?" He remained quiet, gaze never wavering from his little brother's stiff form, and finally after a few moments the brunette shook his head, looking now almost torn.

"I, I just... Roxas, I _am_ a burden to you. I really am! I mean, you... You're acting like my parent! And you're not! You're my b-brother, and you should be in highschool, and you _aren't_, and you shouldn't be trying to get a job, because it's j-just not fair...! I don't like how I just get to carry on with my life and you have to work to support me, and I can't do anything to help you! I just have to try and pretend that nothing ever happened, and that when I come home, everything's alright, because really... Really, it's not okay, Roxas! And I wish you'd understand that. You're only eighteen, and you're doing too much! I... I'm worried about you, I really am... I love you, Roxy, you're my brother... And, well... I... " The brunette trailed off quietly, his cheeks flushed from his rant and a thin line of tears making salty paths down from his eyes.

To say that he was shocked would've been an understatement, the blonde sitting quietly and merely looking at his younger brother who hiccuped occasionally, trembling all over. Riku was rubbing a hand on the brunette's back in small, circular motions, and that act seemed to calm the younger boy. The older's eyes turned away from the scene, hand reaching up and pushing blonde bangs from his eyes before he closed them, breathing in deeply.

As of late he and Sora had drifted apart, and now, maybe, he might know why. Very rarely did the younger boy have these kind of breakdowns, and as the older watched, the same feeling of pity and possibly guilt etched its way into his heart. It wasn't very fair that Sora had to live like this. He was a good kid, and he deserved a lot more than what Roxas could give him... But even if he had made the suggestion of the brunette to go and live somewhere else, Sora would look alarmed, and then laugh and merely push the topic aside, claiming that he loved it there, despite their struggles. And Roxas knew that Sora meant everything that he said. Yet that didn't ease the increasing feeling of guilt that seemed to shroud him, lately...

Taking one last glance at Sora, Roxas cut his eyes away, only to look up a moment later as a soft buzzing noise filled the room. He blinked a few times before he noticed that Riku suddenly looked sheepish and shoved one hand into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. The little device buzzed again impatiently, and after throwing an apologetic look to Sora, he flipped the device open and answered softly.

That act managed to earn a small smile from Sora, who was sniffling and wiping his nose on the sleeve of his coat. "Oh, yeah... Don't worry, mom, we'll be home soon. What? Ten minutes? Okay, okay, ten minutes, no more, no less. I gotcha... Yeah, you too, see you in a few." The silverette hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket, aquamarine eyes glancing back up to them. "... Sorry, that was my mom. She wants us back in ten minutes, 'cause dinner's almost done." Sora managed a small nod before looking back to Roxas, who merely sighed, yet again for the umpteenth time that day.

The blonde nodded and stood slowly from his spot on the recliner, not minding when it creaked and shifted as he moved. "Then you two better go, I guess. Wouldn't want to keep her waiting." He smiled then, towards the two younger teens as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stood casually, watching as they both stood slowly. Riku managed a soft smile, nodding with a quiet "thank you", and as Roxas looked back at Sora, he saw concern in his eyes. Before the brunette could ask, however, Roxas shook his head, still smiling. "It's fine, Sora, don't worry about it. Go have fun tonight, you deserve it, and if it's alright with Riku and his parents, you can stay all weekend if you want. Just make sure that you're not home too late on Sunday, alright?"

While Riku looked downright ecstatic, Sora, instead, looked worried. His brows furrowed slightly, bottom lip jutting out slightly in concentration, but before he could say anything Roxas stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder, trying to be as comforting as possible.

"Don't worry, alright? Really, it'll be fine. I have stuff I have to do this weekend anyway, like clean the house, and you need a weekend to just relax. And don't worry about your homework right now, we'll finish talking about that when you get home Sunday night, alright?" Sora didn't look convinced, but he nodded nontheless and obediently followed when Riku took ahold of his hand gently and led him towards the door. Roxas followed a ways back, nodding as Riku opened the front door and giving one last smile. Just before the two younger teens were about to leave, however, Sora quickly turned around and wrapped his arms around the blonde, who looked shocked for a moment before he smiled, a soft, real, and genuine smile.

"I love you, Roxas, should I call you when we get there?" At that, Roxas shook his head, and Sora nodded. "Okay, well... I'll call you tomorrow to check up on you then, okay? And, umm... I have some clothes that I left over at Riku's, so I'll be alright." Roxas laughed.

"I know you will, Sora, and I love you too. You have fun, alright?" The brunette nodded and wiped his eyes one last time, flashing the older a smile before turning back to Riku, and after they had finished putting their shoes on, they both stepped out of the door, quietly making their way back to Riku's. Roxas stood in the doorframe for awhile, watching the two teens make their way down the street, smiling and waving softly when Sora looked back. The brunette smiled and waved before turning the other way around, and with that, Roxas shut the door gently, locking it.

The blonde shook his head then, looking down sullenly. Sora had seen through his act, like always, but it had been enough to get the two boys out of the house, which Roxas was grateful for. Despite their differences, Riku was a good young man, and Roxas knew that Sora was lucky to have him as a friend. Glancing around the front room one last time he turned and went back into the living room, flopping down on the sofa and running his hands through his hair, resisting the urge to scream.

He wanted better for Sora, he really did, but some greedy, bitter part of him told him that it wasn't _fair_ that Sora still got to do as he pleased, that he got to spend weekends not having to worry about anything, bills to pay, food to buy, and a little brother to look after. Make sure that said little brother's grades were being kept up, that he didn't miss too much school, and that he was always, _always_ happy, because happiness to one brought faith and reason to the other. Yet the more calm, parental side of him told him that Roxas was doing the right thing, getting Sora out of the apartment with his friends so that he didn't _have_ to worry about everything that was going on, or homework, or school, or anything...

Roxas slouched forward slightly and rubbed his eyes, forcing the tears not to come. Crying wouldn't help anything right now, and he didn't want to get worked up over nothing. They would make it, Roxas was sure of it. Yet... He couldn't deny that things were getting harder, and they would be for quite a while. Until Demyx was about to get back to him, he'd have to scrounge around, possibly find some odd-jobs to do in town to try and get enough money to feed himself and Sora.

"... It's just not fair," he whispered bitterly to the silence of the apartment, palms still pressed against his shut eyes. "It's just not..." He was acting childish, he was acting selfish, but right then, Roxas didn't care. He was tired of being the adult that he wasn't, tired of being the parent and the caretaker of his little brother, yearning for someone to be there to comfort him when things got overwhelming, to hold him and whisper soothing nothings in his ear when everything seemed bleak. Yet now... Now there was no one, and Roxas was alone.

Roxas had sent Sora away to Riku's for the weekend, not because he had anything that he needed to do, but because he was running out of control. He was losing his patience, with himself and everyone around him, and a weekend by himself, with no one to worry about and no one to take care of was just what he needed at the moment. When he was alone, the blonde could let go of everything that he had been holding in, cry and scream and dream of better times, and no one would be there to question or complain. After all, didn't everything break eventually? Things eroded, like his will, and grew tired, like his heart, and eventually everything just needed to break down, and right now, that's what he was doing. And no one was there to question, or ask if he was alright, or if he needed anything.

"But that's okay, because I'll be alright... I'll always be alright, because I have Sora." Yes, that was it. He had his little brother, and as long as he had a purpose, then everything would be okay. Somehow.

As he sat silently the sky outside darkened, yet the distraught blonde didn't seem to notice. He sat quietly, eyes hazy as he stared forward, not looking at anything, his mind wandering, remembering better times when he was younger and everything was so much easier. The sky turned to brilliant shades of red, pink, and orange, cascading the outside world in it's bloodred colors. Blue eyes, however, never noticed this, still staring forward and losing himself to his thoughts, his memories...

Finally, long after the perfect sunset had gone and darkness claimed the sky, Roxas seemed to snap out of his stupor. Nervously he glanced around the living room before forcing himself to stand, his legs stiff and popping. With one last look around he turned, leaving the living room and going into his room, shutting the door silently behind him. The darkness in his room greeted him, yet he welcomed it, and without even bothering to change clothes, Roxas collapsed onto his bed, pulled his comforter over his shivering body and buried his head in his pillow. Right now, he didn't want to worry about anything. All he wanted to do was sleep... Sleep and think of nothing.

* * *

**A/N:** Wallah! Well, there ya go. Chapter three! First off, I want to thank everyone for bearing with my incredibly slow pace at updating, (hopefully that'll get better...) and yes, I actually do have an (not so good) excuse as to why I haven't updated in the 'few days' span that I was trying to reach... Well, I got a job. ((cheers)) Yes, a job! And, unfortunately, I work, A LOT, as in... 4 to midnight, basically every night. And then I get out of school around 1-ish, so I only have a few hours to write. Now, though, that I have a job, I can earn money, and thus do as my dad says and "S. A. V. E." ... Yeah, he's simple like that.

So, I have to admit, it seemed to me that this chapter just dragged on and on, and it seems a bit filler-ish, but it does have an importance, I promise. You'll all just have to sit and wait like good little readers and find out what that importance is later on. Mm, well... It's 5:01 a.m., and my Beta pretty much forced me to finish this. Forced me as in held a knife to my neck. Which yes, **did** happen. But I'm alright, and I finished this for the safety of my life. Maybe that's why it's not as good as the others, or as long, but in Chapter four, hopefully we'll be getting somewhere. As in, Axel-and-Roxas-Meetage. Hopefully.

Basically, all of you have to thank my current music craze (and my Beta) for finishing this chapter. I pretty much listened to Come In Closer by Blue October all night long, which is fine by me, to get this done. But yes, alas, to the more important news...

**Comic Con!! **((Spazzes)) My Beta and I are going to Comic Con together, in July, and more than likely I'll be writing a lot there, because I'll have a lot of inspiration. So be expecting a lot of updates in that time-frame. Okay? Okay.

Oh yeah, and I want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews, and yes, I'm glad that you all like Pizza, who is my Beta's cat. Pizza **does** exist, and is that fat. And I love him, because he's amazing. Oh, and my beta want's to inform you all of one of our life-lessons in life -

Beta: "Don't Make Bacon, Naked. XD "

Really. Don't do it. Trust us, it sucks. Anyway, alright, well... Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, and please, take some time and hit the little review button and leave me something. I don't care what it is, unless it's like, flaming me, because then I'll flame you back. And you don't want that. Everyone have a good night, I'm going to relax now, so... Enjoy life, and take care until I update next!!

Me.


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